Past and Present
by Firstlady1408
Summary: MarthaAaron A glimse at what might be in tomorrows episode! Spoilers for this weeks trailer. Logan visits his now ex wife.


Aaron stood outside his house. There was a slight chill to the air. Aaron shivered slightly even in the black sweater he wore. He wondered if it was the weather or the prospect of coming face to face with the man who only two years ago had planned to have him killed. He peered down the driveway for the third time and let a sharp gasp escape his lips as he saw the helicopter approach from over the hill. He had been against the idea since Jack had called less than an hour earlier. He understood the need to meet, but he would have been happier to have the meeting on neutral territory. He felt as if by allowing this man into his home he was tainting it...tainting what they now had, and he would not let that happen. Watching the helicopter land and the door open, he walked slowly toward Jack, who was approaching him, his hand outstretched. Aaron met him halfway and grasped the man's hand in his. He couldn't help but feel the scars on the younger man's hand, and wondered what he had been through in China. Of course, he still had some pull, and had heard the rumors, and he had been shocked but pleasantly surprised to hear his voice on the phone earlier. He reminded Aaron of President Palmer, a subject that he would rarely allow himself to dwell on, but seeing Jack, he couldn't help it. The memories of his dead friend came flooding back.

"Aaron." Jack's voice broke him out of his reverie.

"Jack, it's good to see you." Aaron replied. He glanced past Jack to watch the man get out of the same door and felt his stomach lurch. Logan. After his marriage to Martha a little over six months ago, he had half expected Charles to come bursting throught he door during the "If anyone has any objections.." line. But he hadn't, and Aaron had placed the ring on her finger, and as he looked at her face beaming back at him, he knew that he would do anything to keep her from coming to harm. He knew that he would spend the rest of his life finding new ways to make his wife happy, and six months later he had not had any complaints.

Charles moved and faced his wife's new husband. Looking down at the ring on his own finger, he quickly moved to put his hand in his pocket. It hadn't occured to him to take it off. He had been so metuiculous in getting ready, choosing the perfect tie, the perfect cufflinks and his pin of the flag of the country he had betrayed. Yes, he had planned everything down to the last button. The one thing he had forgotten to do was remove his ring. To him, in his protected world of house arrest, it was his last remaining link to the wife he had lost. But seeing the glint of gold reflecting off Aaron's finger now he realized that to the outside world, it meant nothing. Martha was no longer his wife. She now belonged to Aaron. Finally looking into Aaron's face, he took a small step back. He had not been expecting a warm welcome, but what he saw there made him inwardly shudder. He moved slowly forward and opened his mouth. Before he had a chance to speak, Aaron had moved swiftly to his side and had gently taken hold of his arm. Charles looked over his shoulder and noticed Jack had moved away to give them privacy.

"Aaron...I..uh.." Charles stammered. He felt a shiver run through his body as Aaron closed the distance between them and placed his mouth next to Charles' ear. "Let's just get one thing straight...Charles...before you go into my house. I don't want you here. My wife doesn't want you here. We are doing this because we, unlike some, believe we have a duty to this country. But before you enter our house let me lay down some rules. And believe me when I say I am not playing the possesive husband. I do not think of my wife as a possesion, something I own. I know she has her own thoughts, her own dreams and desires." He allowed the last word to come out slowly and smiled as he saw Charles wince slightly at the thought of his ex-wife with another. "These ground rules have come from Martha. You are here to speak about Gredenko, and nothing else. She doesn't wish to discuss any other matter except about anything that will help CTU get information about the nukes. You don't touch her or even look at her the wrong way. Oh, the last two were my rules. I don't care if you have information about a nuke in a house up the street; you break any of these ground rules and you are out." He relaxed his hold on Charles' arm slightly and pulled back to look at his face. He smiled inside when he saw that he had done what he had intended. Logan's face was definalty now a few shades lighter. "Oh, and Charles -- one final thing. After today, my wife and I would appreciate it if you erased our address from your memory. No surprise Christmas cards. Okay?" He smiled at the man who seemed to have shrunk a couple of inches in the last few seconds, and let go of his arm. Turning to Jack he smiled. "Okay, let's go. Martha's inside."

Charles looked up from the ground as they entered the house. He couldn't help thinking back a few years. Martha had told him that when his term in office was over, she wanted to retire to the country. Nothing as grand as Logans retreat; she just wanted a simple farm house with room for her horses. Looking up at the house now, he realized she had gotten what she had wanted. However, it was not with him.

Aaron turned to Jack and motioned to a door a few yards ahead of where they stood. "Living area's through there. Martha's in our room. I'll go see if she's ready." Without even looking at Charles once, he walked past them to the wooden staircase, and with every step he took, Charles could hear the echo, taunting him. One step, two steps, closer and closer to their bedroom. Shaking his head, he follwed Jack into an open plan living area. The first thing he noticed was one entire wall was made up of windows, allowing the fading sun to light up the whole room. He remembered Marty had not liked the retreat; she had often said she felt closed in there. Too many walls and not enough windows. This room had obviously been done to Martha's specifications.

"Sit." Jacks voice permeated through the mist that seemed to be surrounding Charles. But he did as he was asked, and sat facing a comfy looking sofa. Glancing up at the wall, he wished he had chosen a different seat. Staring him from the wall above, almost mocking him, was an enlarged framed picture of Martha and Aaron, obviously on their wedding day. He felt a tear threaten to spill from his eye as he looked at her smiling face. She truly looked beautiful. He thought back to their own wedding pictures. The photographer arranging every detail. He forced himself to take a longer look at the picture on the wall. This picture had not been staged. They had obviously been caught unawares. Aaron's lips were fixed to Martha's and his hand was brushing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. Her hair had been piled on her head and pinned haphazardly with small daisies. Unable to bear it anymore, he looked away and instead found himself looking at the end table to the right of him. Again, pictures of the two of them seemed to mock him at every glance. Martha sitting under the Eiffel Tower, her head relaxed on Aaron's shoulder. Martha on a horse alongside a younger red-headed boy, both of them beaming at the camera, their expressions both caught in time forever. Charles thought back to his desk at home. Yes, he had pictures of Martha, but he could honestly not think of one which was not a picture of their job roles, and not their lives together. He sat forward and held his hands to his face.

Her voice! He couldn't help his stomach lurching as he heard her voice. After all, it had been over a year since he had heard or indeed seen her. He didn't turn around, though he allowed himself to bask in the sweetness of her tones. He realized she was whispering and his curiosity took over and he turned his head slightly to look at the half-open door. When his eyes fixed on her, he wished he had kept from looking. She had not yet entered they room and he could see her frame half in darkness but what he saw made his eyes prick with the threat of unshed tears. She was stood with her back to him. Her hair was longer than before and she had it tied loosely back. The curls spiraling down her back. She wore a deep blue turtleneck, and in the dimness of the hallway, it made it hard to see her clearly; but what he could not mistake were the hands that were roaming up and down her back. Stroking her. Massaging the base of her neck. Standing with her was Aaron. He held her gently in his arms. Charles could stand it no more, and returned his gaze to the window, but before he turned his head, he saw her head softly fall onto Aaron's shoulder and his red head bend towards her to place a soft kiss on top of her hair.

"Are you ready?" Aaron murmured against the soft hair of his wife. Martha looked up at her husband and smiled. Leaning forward slightly she caught his lips against hers and gently brushed hers against his, allowing the tip of her tongue to slide lazily over them. She sighed and placed her forehead against his. She was not looking forward to this. She thought she had done her bit for her country two years ago. In fact, she thought she had gone above and beyond the call of duty! For the last 15 months, she had been happier than she had ever thought was possible. After her divorce, she had teetered on the brink of falling over the edge a few times. But every time she stumbled he was there to catch her before she fell. He looked after her, he loved her and more than that. She looked after him, she loved him. Their relationship and eventual marriage had never been one-sided: she gave as much as she got. In the early days, she often wondered what had made Aaron give up his career and devote himself so willingly to her. She had asked him once. Once and only once. "Because I love you." he had told her. She had never wondered again.

But now, as she stood in the dark hallway of their new home she felt like her world had been rewound two years. It was only the feel of her husband's arms around her that reminded her she was the one in control now. She was the one who had everything. She was happy.

"I'm ready." She kissed him quickly and extracted herself from his arms. Walking into the room first, she felt the comforting feel of Aaron's hand on the small of her back. Taking a deep breath, she looked at her ex-husband. "Charles."

Charles jumped up at the sound of his name. He resisted the urge to move closer toward her, instead simply replying, " Marty. You look...well."

Martha took Aaron's hand and they walked to the couch opposite him. She sat down, keeping her grip on Aaron's hand. "Under the circumstances, Charles, I would prefer it if you called me Martha." She said coldly, her eyes never once leaving his. He noticed how they had hardened when she looked at him. " Now let's get down to it, shall we? What exactly are you doing in our house, and what is it you want me to do?"

Charles looked at his wife in surprise. Ex, he told himself. He wondered how long it would take to get used to calling her that. She certainly had changed. She looked in control, and for once he found himself doing what she asked and getting to the point. "Well, it's like I said on the phone." He stopped and looked at the two of them, Martha and Aaron both waiting for what he wanted from them. He knew he had to say what had been building up in him for months now. "Look," he said, directing the comment at both Martha and Aaron. "I know you both don't want me here, and it may surprise you to know that this isn't exactly easy for me, either. Being here. But I am trying to undo some of what I put you both through that day."

"Charles." Martha glared at him. "This isn't Oprah. This isn't your chance to try to get some salvation from us. I know I can speak for Aaron and myself when I say that we have no interest in your apologies or your explanations. So just get to the point."

"Honey."

Charles winced at the endearment Aaron used.

"Maybe we should hear him out. It changes nothing. But maybe it might settle some questions you still have."

Martha looked at her husband and smiled; as always, he was the voice of reason, and maybe he was right. She knew nothing could make her change the way she felt about Charles. But maybe it wouldn't hurt to hear what he had to say. "Go on."

"I know what I put you both through that day. I didn't see it until it was too late. I know that. But I have had time to reflect, and I am truly sorry for the terrible things I did. Especially to you, Martha -- no husband should have put his wife through what I put you through, and Aaron. You have to understand that when I gave the order for you to be taken care of, I really didn't know Adams would try to kill you. I didn't want that to happen. You have to..."

"Cut the crap!" she spat at him. "At least you used to be an honest crook!" Martha reached for the nearest thing-- a plate of Aaron's favorite cookies. Picking one up from the plate, she threw it at her ex-husband. If she hadn't been so angry, she would have laughed at the look of shock on his face as the cookie hit him squarely between the eyes. "You come into my house offering some crap about not knowing what was going to happen. You knew Adams was going to kill Aaron." She felt Aaron's hand squeeze her hand in her lap. She glanced as his face, which without words she knew was telling her to cool it. To not let him get to her. But she was too far gone. If Charles could have his moment in the spotlight she was damn sure she could too. Looking back at Charles she shouted, "You want to know how I know you ordered Aaron's death? Well? Do you? Because I was there, Charles. I was there when Adams pointed that gun right at me. I was there when he picked up the phone to get his orders. Who do you think he was calling? Huh? Because I'm sure as hell it wasn't his mommy! He was calling _you_. You ordered him to kill Aaron, and he had to check to see if you wanted him to take care of me, too. That's what happened. And you can sit there with your apologies and your "I didn't know"... but you knew, Charles...you knew. You nearly killed my husband. And if you think I'm gonna sit here while you spout out that crap, you can think again." Shaking off Aaron's grip on her arm, she walked slowly over to where Charles sat. Leaning closer to him, she whispered in his ear. "You know what, Charles? I killed Adams that night. I killed him to save Aaron. And if you had been there, I would have killed you too." She moved back from him and smiled at the look of shock in his face. Walking back to her husband, she sat back on the couch and reached for Aaron's hand. Smiling at him, she looked back at Charles. "Now, you mentioned something about an international incident and me helping to diffuse it." Reaching for the plate in front of her, she lifted it up. "Would you like a cookie?"


End file.
